IELTS Writing Practice
Two tasks, sixty minutes, and one of them is worth twice the other. Most candidates divide the time as though they were equal.
How the hour should divide
| Task | Minimum words | Time to spend | Worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 — Academic: describe a graph, chart, table, map or process. General Training: write a letter. | 150 | About 20 minutes | One third |
| Task 2 — an essay answering a specific question. | 250 | About 40 minutes | Two thirds |
Task 1 Academic — describing data
What the examiner wants, and what candidates give instead
Wanted: an overview of the main features, the significant comparisons, and accurate figures used as support.
Given instead: every single number in the chart, in the order they appear, with no overview. That is the most common Band 5 answer.
Never explain why, and never say whether the trend is good or bad. That is Task 2 thinking and it earns nothing here.
A four-part structure that always works
1. Introduction (one sentence). Paraphrase the question. Do not copy it word for word.
2. Overview (two sentences). The two or three biggest things a person would notice — the highest, the lowest, the biggest change, the overall direction. This paragraph earns the most marks and is the one candidates omit.
3. Detail paragraph one. The first group of data, with figures.
4. Detail paragraph two. The rest, with figures and comparisons.
Signal the overview so the examiner cannot miss it: Overall, ...
The language of change — verbs, degree adverbs, prepositions and comparison — is set out with practice data and two full model answers on Describing Graphs and Charts.
Ten original Task 1 Academic prompts
Written by RCF English for practice. Sketch the data yourself, or use them to rehearse the structure and language.
1. A line graph showing rice production in three districts between 2000 and 2020.
2. A bar chart comparing mobile phone ownership in five countries in 2010 and 2020.
3. A pie chart showing how an average household spends its monthly income.
4. A table showing rainfall and temperature in four Sri Lankan towns across a year.
5. A line graph showing tourist arrivals month by month over two years.
6. Two maps of a town centre, in 1990 and today.
7. A process diagram showing how tea is produced, from picking to packing.
8. A bar chart showing the number of students choosing each A/L stream over ten years.
9. A line graph showing internet users in urban and rural areas over fifteen years.
10. A table comparing average working hours in six countries.
Task 1 General Training — letters
Register decides the mark
Decide formal, semi-formal or personal before you write a word, and hold it to the end. Mixing registers is the commonest failure in GT Task 1.
Formal — to someone you do not know, by role: Dear Sir or Madam → Yours faithfully. No contractions.
Semi-formal — to someone you know by name in a working relationship: Dear Mr Perera → Yours sincerely.
Personal — to a friend or family member: Dear Nimal → Best wishes. Contractions are fine and expected.
Cover all three bullet points. Missing one caps your band regardless of how good the English is.
Eight original letter prompts
Written by RCF English. Each has three points, as the real task does.
1. Formal. Write to a college requesting a copy of a certificate you have lost. Say which course, explain how it was lost, ask what the procedure is.
2. Formal. Write to a bank about a charge on your account you do not recognise. Give the date and amount, explain why you dispute it, say what you want done.
3. Semi-formal. Write to your manager requesting three days' leave. Give the dates, the reason, and how your work will be covered.
4. Semi-formal. Write to a landlord about a repair. Describe the problem, say how long it has continued, request a date for the repair.
5. Personal. Write to a friend who has moved abroad. Say what has changed at home, ask about their new job, invite them to visit.
6. Personal. Write to a cousin thanking them for a wedding gift. Say what it was, how you are using it, and when you hope to meet.
7. Formal. Write to a newspaper about a problem with public transport in your area. Describe it, explain the effect, suggest a solution.
8. Semi-formal. Write to a course tutor explaining that you will miss a class. Give the reason, ask what you will miss, ask how to catch up.
Task 2 — the essay
Answer the question that was asked
Four instructions come up again and again, and each needs a different essay. A prepared essay on the topic scores badly if it answers the wrong instruction.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion. You must cover both sides and state your view. Missing either caps the band.
To what extent do you agree or disagree? Take a position and hold it. A fence-sitting essay reads as having no argument.
What are the causes, and what solutions can you suggest? Two jobs. Give roughly equal space to each.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Not a list of both — a judgement about which is greater, argued.
A structure that fits 250 words in 40 minutes
Introduction (2 sentences). Paraphrase the question; state what your essay will do.
Body paragraph 1 (about 90 words). One idea. State it, explain it, give one example.
Body paragraph 2 (about 90 words). A second idea, same shape.
Conclusion (2 sentences). Restate your position. Introduce nothing new.
Two well-developed paragraphs beat four thin ones. Examiners reward development, not the number of ideas.
Spend five minutes planning. Candidates who plan finish; candidates who begin writing immediately usually run out of argument at 180 words.
Fifteen original Task 2 questions
Written by RCF English, grouped by instruction type so you can practise each kind.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
1. Some believe children should begin learning a foreign language in primary school; others think secondary school is soon enough.
2. Some think public money should fund the arts; others think it should go only to essential services.
3. Some say examinations are the fairest way to measure ability; others prefer continuous assessment.
4. Some believe city life offers more opportunity; others believe village life is healthier.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
5. Technology has made people less able to think for themselves.
6. University education should be free for every student who qualifies.
7. Working from home is better for employees than working in an office.
8. Traditional skills and crafts will disappear unless governments protect them.
Causes and solutions.
9. Traffic congestion is worsening in many cities. What causes it and what can be done?
10. Fewer young people are entering teaching. Why, and how might it be addressed?
11. Many students leave school with poor English despite years of study. Why, and what would help?
12. Rates of childhood obesity are rising. What are the causes and the remedies?
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
13. More people are choosing to live alone.
14. Tourism has grown rapidly in many developing countries.
15. Most shopping is moving online.
Official example answers with band scores and examiner comments
This is the most useful free IELTS writing material that exists, and most candidates never see it: real candidate answers, marked, with the examiner's reasoning printed underneath. Reading why an answer got 6 rather than 7 teaches more than any list of tips.
Academic Writing — example responses with band scores and examiner comments (PDF, ielts.org)
General Training Writing — example responses with band scores and examiner comments (PDF, ielts.org)
Both are published free by the test owner and are linked here, not copied.